This Time Around
by tinabelle216
Summary: Dawn comes home from college...**Slash**
1. Default Chapter

TITLE: This Time Around AUTHOR: Christina Jones  
  
RATING: PG-13 (At this point: incomplete)  
  
DISCLAIMER: All Character belong to someone and I get nothing but the pleasure of writing*  
  
DISTRIBUTION: Ask and you might receive SUMMARY: Dawn is back from college (T/Dw).  
  
FEEDBACK: Let me know if I should stick to my day job  
  
NOTES: My First Fan Fic...Not Beta read...let me know whether I should finish it  
  
  
  
Walking into the living room, Dawn scanned the place for signs of life. "Man! Doesn't look like Buffy's being here since I left for college", she said aloud. "Hello", a voice rang from upstairs. Dawn couldn't stop the smile that lit her face when she heard Tara descending from the second floor. She turned to face Tara, slightly taken aback by the beauty. "Tara, hi!" They met in a long, loving hug. Dawn had missed the protected feeling the Tara had always given her. "How are you?" Dawn asked Tara kissed her lightly on her forehead. " I'm good. Buffy decided to move in with Willow, so I've had the place to myself", she then touched Dawn's cheek, "I'm glad to have some company. Welcome home." And with that Tara wrapped Dawn in her arms again. Loving the feeling of having the younger woman next to her, but not wanting to freak her out, Tara release her hold, taking Dawn by the hands. "Come on. I'll help you move your stuff upstairs."  
  
As Dawn returned her belongings to their rightful closet space, she thought about how good it felt to be held by Tara. "Wil must have been insane to leave Tara." Willow had come clean to Tara about her feelings for Buffy and chose to be with Buffy instead of Tara. Tara had been understandably hurt, but loved both Wil and Buffy, so she decided to let them be. Dawn shook her head, "I wish I had been here for her. Like she always was for me." "Dawn dinner's ready", Tara called from downstairs. She thought a nice quiet dinner would be great for Dawn. So much had changed in the last 4 years, with Buffy and Willow hooking up, Giles moving back to England, and Dawn being away at school, Tara was starting to feel so lonely. And so hor. "Stop it!" Tara scolded herself as thoughts of Dawn's lips crept into her mind. College had definitely done wonders for Dawn's .umm.physique. A smile inched across Tara mouth. " What are you smiling about?" Dawn inquired as she breezed in to the dining room. Tara forced her eyes to the floor, hoping not to betray any of the many things that were polluting her thoughts. "N-nnn-nothing, just laughing at s-s-ssomething Xander said earlier", she lied. Dawn just smiled and nodded, noting that the Wicca had stuttered for the first time in a long while. She walked past Tara to the refrigerator, grabbing a Pepsi. When she turned around, Tara noticed the rainbow stripe across the front of her white shirt. Dawn, this time, caught Tara looking at her. "What?" she inquired. Tara shook her head, letting her hair fall in her face. Dawn reached up and pushed the blonde locks away, "Tara, are you ok?" Tara stepped out of Dawn's reach, "I'm f-f-fine." Dawn spoke softly, "I knew having me back in the house would be too much." Tara's eyes shot up at Dawn as she stepped forward, "Dawn, this is your home where you belong." She looked back at Dawn's shirt," Your shirt just caught me by surprise, that's all." Dawn looked down at herself, " Ohhhh", she hadn't even thought about what Tara reaction to her shirt might be. " You don't like it?" Tara gave Dawn a lopsided smile, "I like it. It's cute on you." "Thanks" Dawn said, "My ex bought it for me." "Your ex?" Tara was truly out of the loop. "Ex as in ex-girlfriend?" Dawn's eyes dropped to the kitchen tiles, "Uhh. yeah.I thought Buffy would have told you." She suddenly felt very self-conscious. "I'll take it off." Dawn turned to run out of the kitchen. Tara felt like her feet were glued to the floor. "Dawn's a lesbian"  
  
TBC... 


	2. T.T.A. pt2

TITLE: This Time Around p.2 AUTHOR: Christina Jones  
  
RATING: PG-13 (At this point: incomplete)  
  
DISCLAIMER: All Character belong to someone else and I get nothing but the pleasure of writing*  
  
DISTRIBUTION: Ask and you might receive SUMMARY: Dawn is back from college (T/Dw).  
  
FEEDBACK: Let me know if I should stick to my day job  
  
NOTES: My First Fan Fic.Not Beta read.let me know whether I should finish it  
  
  
  
Dawn threw herself across the bed. "What is wrong with me", she thought, "I should have stood my ground instead of running to my room like I'm still 15." She tossed her pillow at the door, angry with herself. "I should have stayed at school", she thought aloud. "No you shouldn't have." Tara's voice was barely above a whisper, but it made Dawn jump. "I'm sorry, Dawn," she apologized, moving into the room. "I was just taken aback ". She sat next to Dawn on the bed. Dawn made a failed effort to stop the tears from leaving her eyes. Tara wiped the salty drops from her cheek. " I love you, Dawn" Tara continued, "I always have and always will". Tara took Dawn's hand in hers, " Please forgive me for my reaction downstairs." Dawn inhaled sharply, "No, I should have thought more carefully about what I was wearing." She stated, "I don't want to make you uncomfortable." Tara chuckled, "How would you do that?' Dawn just shrugged, thinking a moment. "I don't know", she declared, "You might have given up on women after the whole Willow-Buffy thing or something." Dawn immediately regretted mentioning Willow's name. Tara put a hand on her shoulder as if to say it was ok to mention Willow. "Nope", she shook her head, " I haven't found myself liking boys all of a sudden." "Good", was all Dawn added.  
  
There was an awkward silence, like that moment during a first date that topics that shouldn't be breached have been. Tara was the first to speak, "So.are you.uhh..happy?" She was amazed by her sudden inability to articulate words, "I mean.was your ex nice? Do you have a girlfriend back at school?" Dawn found the courage to pull her eyes off the floor and look at Tara. She was met by the bluest eyes she'd ever had the pleasure of gazing into and found herself staring into the vast beauty that sat before her. It was Tara's turn to inquire, "What?" "Nothing", Dawn spoke quickly, her tone was nonchalant, "My ex was okay except for the fact that she was a total whore". "Dawn!" "Sorry", Dawn said softly. She again shrugged, lowering her eyes, "But she was. She cheated on me.twice" she punctuated with two fingers. "Dawnie, I'm so sorry" Tara responded by placing an arm around Dawn. "And no I don't have a girlfriend." Dawn draws her knees to her chest. "No one could measure up to what I thought a girlfriend.a woman should be like." Tara was significantly intrigued. "So what should a girlfriend be like?" she inquired. Tara felt Dawn tense beside her. She could tell the younger woman was gathering her thoughts on how to answer this question. Dawn felt like her heart had stopped. She had envisioned this moment so many times in the last 4 years. She'd stand in the mirror in her dorm room and practice time and time again, and here it was and she couldn't formulate a sentence. She took a deep breath and after what seemed like forever, Dawn finally spoke. "She should be like you." 


End file.
